Afghanistan: Hegemon USA's Gravehard?

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)

In 2010, historian Alfred McCoy discussed "four scenarios for the end of the American century by 2025."

Asking if it'll land softly, "(d)on't bet on it," said McCoy, adding:

Its "demise…as the global superpower could come far more quickly than anyone imagines."

By 2025, it "could (be) over except for the shouting" and postmortems.

When triumphs become defeats, "empires unravel" swiftly.

McCoy believes that Bush/Cheney's aggression in Afghanistan and Iraq hastened its decline.

"(H)ave no doubt," he stressed.

"When Washington's global dominion…ends" — what's inevitable as with all previous empires — it'll be accompanied by a "demoralizing impact on a society…"

"(A)t least a generation of economic privation" will likely follow.

"As the economy cools, political temperatures rise, often sparking serious domestic unrest."

Triumphant USA post-WW II will likely "fad(e) by 2025."

Its decline and fall could be over by 2030.

A US National Intelligence Council Global Trends 2025 assessment cited the following:

"(T)he transfer of global wealth and economic power…under way…from West to East (is) without precedent in modern history…"

It's mainly responsible for sapping Washington's strength compared to rising power China and other nations…"even in the military realm."

McCoy believes that China will surpass hegemon USA as the world's leading global economic power by 2026 — India to overtake the US economically by 2050.

"Viewed historically, the question is not whether the US will lose its unchallenged global power, but just how precipitous and wrenching the decline will be," McCoy stressed.

Its three main threats include "loss of economic clout thanks to a shrinking share of world trade, the decline of American technological innovation, and the end of the dollar's privileged status as the global reserve currency."

Its dominance in these and other areas are waning, including its education system.

Economist Kenneth Rogoff earlier said that "(o)ther countries are no longer willing to buy into the idea that the US knows best on economic policy."

Unfolding events may "hasten the bankruptcy of the US financial-military world order," economist Michael Hudson observed.

According to McCoy, the world community is paying scant attention "as the American Century ends in silence."

Its military adventurism is part of its undoing. Waging forever wars, it hasn't won one since WW II — over 75 years ago at the height of its power, now waning.

Rising powers China, Russia, India, Iran, and other nations free from its control can play a waiting game on the sidelines — observing Washington's decline and fall from superpower status to history's dustbin.

McCoy sees little chance of the US turning things around, including its forever war policy on invented enemies, its bloated national security state…starved education system, and…antiquated energy supplies," and other major issues to land softly and remain prosperous, adding:

Earlier empires are gone, "America's imperium…going" in similar fashion.

In his 2017 book, titled "In the Shadows of the American Century:

The Rise and Decline of US Global Power," McCoy explained its fall from grace is in stark contrast to China's rise as a global economic, technological and military superpower.

Despite US capabilities, China, Russia, India and other nations are rising at a time of America's decline.

China far surpasses the US in numbers of highly capable young scientists, engineers and others with technological skills.

According to McCoy, "the 2020s will likely be remembered as a demoralizing decade of rising prices, stagnant wages, and fading (US) international competitiveness."

"After years of swelling deficits fed by incessant warfare in distant lands, in 2030 the US dollar('s) special status as the world's dominant reserve currency" will be gone.

They'll be "punitive price increases for (US) imports…from clothing to computers," and other goods.

"(T)he costs for all overseas activity surges as well, making travel for both tourists and troops prohibitive."

"Unable to pay for swelling deficits by selling now-devalued Treasury notes abroad, Washington is finally forced to slash its bloated military budget."

"Under pressure at home and abroad, its forces begin to pull back from hundreds of overseas bases to a continental perimeter."

"Such a desperate move…comes too late."

As "a fading superpower (is) incapable of paying its bills," China, Russia India, Iran, and other nations can increasingly challenge US dominion over the world's landmass, waterways, space, and cyberspace.

Instead of pursuing sustainable longterm development and cooperative relations with other nations in peace, US policies have been self-destructive.

Its ruling class can no longer dictate to other nations because of its declining power on the world stage.

Yet post-WW II, the US was "the first empire in 1,000 years to control both ends of the vast Eurasian continent (Eurasia)…the epicenter of world power," McCoy explained, adding:

It was "linked…with layers of power, multilateral defense treaties, starting with NATO in Europe, all the way to SETO and ANZUS with Australia, the Japan Mutual Security Treaty, the South Korea US Mutual Security Treaty, the Philippine US Mutual Security Treaty."

US fleets span the world's oceans and seas, along with a global empire of bases, including dozens drone facilities for unnamed aerial warfare, surveillance and related purposes.

Yet its pillars are crumbling, notably compared to China's rise on the world stage, especially in Eurasia.

Notably when the dollar goes as the world's preeminent reserve currency, imperial USA will go with it.

According to McCoy, it's coming by end of the 2020s, America's decline and fall with it.

A Final Comment

Discussing McCoy's analysis, China's Xinhua said "America's worst enemy is itself," adding:

It's "counter(ed) the trend of peace and development of our times by indulging in dreams of hegemony, with a foreign policy characterized by power politics."

Its ruling class "launched one war after another and exported color revolutions around the world, seriously threatening global security."

"Under the guise of 'democracy' and 'human rights' — notions it abhors —  the US brutally interfere(s) in the internal affairs of other countries" in pursuit of its hegemonic aims.

It egregiously "violat(es) principles of equality, mutual respect and mutual trust in international exchanges."

"It…bully('s) other countries…build(s) walls, and wantonly imposes sanctions on" nations unwilling to subordinate their sovereign rights to its interests.

In decline for decades, its preeminence of the world stage is fading.

Unwilling to change its wicked ways is hastening its fall from grace.

VISIT MY WEBSITE: stephenlendman.org (Home – Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

My two Wall Street books are timely reading:

"How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion, and Class War"

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"Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity"

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